Sean Baker knew he wanted the Russian actor Yura Borisov for his new film even before he’d written the script that would become “Anora.”
“I saw him in ‘Compartment No. 6’ at Cannes in 2021 and immediately fell in love — I could just see what an amazing actor he was,” says the director, who cites Spike Lee as his influence for his constant use of “fresh faces” in films like “Tangerine,” “Florida Project” and “Red Rocket.”
Baker knew the film would be “setting up stereotypes and then shattering them,” so he needed a henchman who was a “teddy bear” underneath. When he watched more of Borisov’s movies
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